Read on Twitter
OK, I usually try to post positive stuff on here, but this got to me today, so here goes:
Why Book Piracy directly impacts authors
Or, in the memorable words of one fabulous bookseller:
why ‘book piracy, for a reader, is like pissing on your own veg patch’
– a thread
(1/n)
Why Book Piracy directly impacts authors
Or, in the memorable words of one fabulous bookseller:
why ‘book piracy, for a reader, is like pissing on your own veg patch’
– a thread
(1/n)
First of all, I know times are tough, I know many of us have less money to spend. At the same time, we desperately need books, films, tv, to entertain & console & distract this year more than ever. I get that, I really do.
There’s a perfect way of accessing free books...
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There’s a perfect way of accessing free books...
(2/)
You already know books are free to borrow from your local library. But did you know your library will also have an online catalogue of ebooks which you can access with your library log-in?
*It is probably fewer clicks than registering with a pirate site*
Why is that better?
(3/
*It is probably fewer clicks than registering with a pirate site*
Why is that better?
(3/
Not many people outside publishing know, but authors get a payment for library loans, based on averaged-out data, from @PLR_UK paid each January, when we need it most. It makes a big difference.
So what’s wrong with downloading a free pdf from a pirate site, you ask? (4/
So what’s wrong with downloading a free pdf from a pirate site, you ask? (4/
Here’s my story – last night, my publisher shared a new review for Rise of the Shadow Dragons, coming in paperback in May. I looked online to find the original, & instead stumbled across a ‘helpful’ chat: someone asked where he could find a pdf of Rise of the Shadow Dragons
(5/
(5/
Someone else replied, sharing a site where it could be downloaded. Others chipped in to say how reliable it was. Each post had lots of likes.
I was gutted.
Why? Shouldn’t I be glad someone wants my book?
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I was gutted.
Why? Shouldn’t I be glad someone wants my book?
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Rise of the Shadow Dragons took me about a year to write. It was a tough & busy year so I was proud of myself for pulling it off & proud of the story that emerged.
There was another year of my publisher @DFB_storyhouse working on it. Making a book is a team effort like:
(7/
There was another year of my publisher @DFB_storyhouse working on it. Making a book is a team effort like:
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Artwork by Angelo Rinaldi & Paul Duffield, editing by Rosie Fickling, sales by Phil Earle, foreign rights by Bronwen Bennie, & so much more. Each of these people has their own specific expertise & skillset, working hard in a small business
See: http://bit.ly/39FIOLu
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See: http://bit.ly/39FIOLu
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After two years’ effort, the book came out in hardback last year during the first lockdown. It hasn’t sold many copies. Not as many as the first book in the trilogy.
So what?
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So what?
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(Might be a good place to say that average author earnings in the UK are less than £11,000 per year, & have dropped by 46% recently, say @Soc_of_Authors
If those earnings aren’t protected, that limits the range of people who are able to write books)
Back to the book:
(10/)
If those earnings aren’t protected, that limits the range of people who are able to write books)
Back to the book:
(10/)
Book 1 of trilogy, Dragon Daughter, did OK, not amazing but solid. It was translated, it won two awards – I was chuffed to bits. It meant book 2, Rise of the Shadow Dragons could happen & I earned a living from my writing for another year.
What went wrong with book 2?
(11/)
What went wrong with book 2?
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- If book 2 didn’t sell cos it came out in lockdown: it's tough, but I understand. Chin up, move along.
- If it's cos people didn’t like the story, that’s my problem. Take the feedback, move along.
But what if...
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- If it's cos people didn’t like the story, that’s my problem. Take the feedback, move along.
But what if...
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But if book 2 hasn’t sold as many copies cos it’s getting illegally pirated instead of borrowed or bought – that’s different. I can’t move along from that.
That hurts me, it hurts my publisher. And ultimately it hurts the reader.
Why?
(13/)
That hurts me, it hurts my publisher. And ultimately it hurts the reader.
Why?
(13/)
Based on these figures, book 3 of the trilogy won’t get commissioned.
My publisher is a small business & has to make tough decisions in tough times.
You might think – huh, never heard of you, don’t like the sound of your books, why should I care…?
Here's why:
(14/)
My publisher is a small business & has to make tough decisions in tough times.
You might think – huh, never heard of you, don’t like the sound of your books, why should I care…?
Here's why:
(14/)
If books are pirated, authors can’t earn a living, they have to give up writing. That’s fewer authors writing fewer books. Less choice for everyone.
If books are pirated, publishers lose money, some go under, others commission fewer books. Less choice for everyone.
(15/)
If books are pirated, publishers lose money, some go under, others commission fewer books. Less choice for everyone.
(15/)
As usual, it’s the smallest that are hit harder. Small, independent presses have a brilliant & well-deserved reputation for nurturing talent, for being innovative & daring, taking risks.
A rich & diverse field of authors = more chance we’ll find books we love
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A rich & diverse field of authors = more chance we’ll find books we love
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A healthy publishing system means lots of different people writing lots of different books, which is good for readers, good for authors, good for bookshops & libraries etc.
So, here’s the thing that puzzles me. Here's the issue I just don’t get…
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So, here’s the thing that puzzles me. Here's the issue I just don’t get…
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If you love books enough to bother seeking out advice about how to pirate them, surely you care enough to consider where they come from?
Please don’t click on that PDF.
The arts are in crisis right now, and it’s looking a bit bleak out there.
(18/)
Please don’t click on that PDF.
The arts are in crisis right now, and it’s looking a bit bleak out there.
(18/)
Please think about the creator, the producer, the bookseller, the librarian, etc
If you would like to support small independent businesses, support the creation of new art, new stories, new distractions & comforts & entertainment for all the times ahead, what can you do?
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If you would like to support small independent businesses, support the creation of new art, new stories, new distractions & comforts & entertainment for all the times ahead, what can you do?
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1.Join your library & get free books
2.Some schools have ebooks available via their library
3.check deals on big bookseller’s sites
4.See if the local bookshop is doing click and collect.
http://5.Best of all, when they re-open, browse your local bookshop
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2.Some schools have ebooks available via their library
3.check deals on big bookseller’s sites
4.See if the local bookshop is doing click and collect.
http://5.Best of all, when they re-open, browse your local bookshop
(20/)
Re: 5, Even if it’s for the first time - especially then - your local bookseller will be so pleased to see you & happy to recommend
All of this works with the ecosystem. It guarantees the supply chain. It means there will be the books you want to read in years to come.
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All of this works with the ecosystem. It guarantees the supply chain. It means there will be the books you want to read in years to come.
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Phew, that went on. Ta for reading. Take good care.
(Here’s a donation link for Arts Emergency http://bit.ly/2MPStWs
If you still want to read Rise of the Shadow Dragons, it 's here https://bit.ly/2L77v6b from @KenilworthBook or here http://bit.ly/3nbAU0n
(22/
ENDS)
(Here’s a donation link for Arts Emergency http://bit.ly/2MPStWs
If you still want to read Rise of the Shadow Dragons, it 's here https://bit.ly/2L77v6b from @KenilworthBook or here http://bit.ly/3nbAU0n
(22/
ENDS)
